Decorating machine



July 15, 1947. G. FREEMAN, JR. A

DECORATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Z*Bloufs 'eEEMn/v, Jie.

@n @dan IU-ly 15, l947 I G. FREEMAN, JR 2,424,023

DECORATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented .uy l5,1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DECORATING MACHINE Louis G. Freeman,Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio Application February 17, 1944,- Serial No. 522,813

(ci. i-30) l Claims.

This invention relates to shoe machinery and more particularly toimprovements in dies for use in ornamenting shoe uppers and shoe partsby the formation of cutouts and perforations and portions thereof andalso by the application of printed markings.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention isa type of die adapted foroperations upon skins, upper blanks, fitted or closed uppers and thelike, in which the work is marked with ink or pigment at the same time,or as a part of the cycle of operations, during which the Work is alsoornamented by the perforating or cuttingout of a design or ornamentalopening therein. The markings applied to the work may take the form ofpermanent ornamentation such as simulated stitching, or patterns mayconsist of guide lines to aid in subsequent operations upon the work, e.g., to indicate the location for a line of stitching, or to assist inthe fitting together of several shoe parts. Preferably, the marking andperforating or cutting will be performed in a single machine operation.

Specifically, this invention relates to improvements in dies of thegeneral type disclosed in the Louis G. Freeman, Jr., Patent No.2,183,038, dated December 12, 1939, which dies are especially adaptablefor use in the type of machine described and claimed in the Benjamin W.Freeman Patent No, 2,241,393, dated May 28, 1941.

With many types of work, the pressure requirements for ornamenting andfor stripping the work from the cutting elements of the die are veryheavy, and machines referred to in said applications are particularlydesigned to meet such requirements, particularly with relation to theVstripping of the work from the die.

Conventional strippers include some mechanism directly associated withthe die unit, such as a stripper plate mounted on springs, which servenormally to maintain the stripping plate in a position slightly inadvance of the cutting edges of the die, and to restore the plate tosuch position during the stripping operation. The spring pressure mustbe so adjusted as to accommodate varying thicknesses of leather ormaterial upon which the die is working, and difliculties may arise inthis connection, especially when marking edges are placed upon thestripper; thus, if the spring pressure is adjusted to mark and properlystrip a light piece of calfskin, the marking edges would probably injurea thicker or heavier piece of leather. Obviously, when the material isthick, the stripper will be depressed more by the material than would bethe case by thin leather.

Varying pressures are required with diierent characters of leather, aswell as with different thicknesses'. As the number of 'cutouts orperforatons in a piece oi Work is increased, the need 2 for greaterpressure likewise increases, and such pressures are very diliicult ofattainment, if not impossible, with conventional stripping devices no-win use.

In the solution of thesey problems, the machine and dies of the presentapplication contemplate a stripping mechanism wherein the pressure isapplied by means independent of the die', or by means independent of anyarrangement for applying a light printing or marking pressure to themarking elements.

As illustrated in the machine of the aforesaid Benjamin W. Freemanpatent, the pressure for stripping purposes is obtained by building a'pressure applying mechanism for stripping purposes in the machine, asdistinguishedV from supplying each individual die with a' self-containedcomplete stripping" mechanism. The usual stripper plate mounted inadvance of the cutting edges may be retained on the die, and this platemay be provided with marking edges thereon, or a stripping mediumseparatev from the die may be pro'- vided and marking means independentthereof supplied. In fact, the' die may incorporate separate strippingand marking media, all mounted in the sam'e die unit.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of the diewith a structural design to cooperate with a pressure applying mechanismbuilt into the machine, and a stripper plate yieldably mounted fornormal location in advance of the cutting edges of the die, but with amounting of such a nature that little or no pressure will be exerted orithe plate, and hence, on the work until the main stripping pressure isapplied.

The object of the present invention is the provision also of astructural design which provides for the use of` all the advantages ofthe stripping mechanism built into the machine and. dies of lighterconstruction. The present invention eliminates tlie need f building acomplete die unit comprising base plate, supports, suppl-ate, tubeplate, stripper posts and stripper built as a complete unit fastenedinto the machine by the usual method, by providing amaster die holderwhich comprises av base plate, rigid supports running in a directionfrom the front of the' die holder to the rear, and a yieldably mountedplate attached toV posts which go through the base plate and Contact thestripper applying means inthe machine. V"Il'i-is master die holder is acomplete unit, and is tted with dovetail ribs on each side to receive adie unit made merely of the subplate and posts Which contact theyieldably mounted plate in the master holder Whenxthe die unitis inIplace in the master holder. The other ends of the stripper posts areYfastened tothe stripper or marking plate', Whichever the case may be;YThe advantage of this arrangement is the fact that when purchasing diesit is only necessary to purchase the small die unit comprising thesubplate, tube plate and stripper plate, the subplate preferably beingtted with the rigid supports running the opposite direction from thesubplate supports on the master die holder. The unit also would containthe stripping posts attached at one end to the stripper, running throughthe tube and subplate and ending at the same height in the back as theheight of the rigid supports. Good support will be had from such anarrangement because wherever the supports in the die unit contact thesupports in the master die holder, a solid support will be effected atthat point. The reason for running the supports in the die unit inanother` direction is so that any type of design can be used in thismaster arrangement. If the supports were all in the master die holderand the subplate of the die unit laid against these supports, thedesigns in many instances would come in a position over the supportswhich would block up the clearance hole in the subplate for the outn letof the cuttings of the die design. By running the ribs in the oppositedirection on the die unit in comparison to the direction that the ribsrun in the master die holder in building a die, the supports on the dieunit can be so placed and cleared that openings are provided for thecuttings in each die design. Another advantage of this type of die isthe ease with which it can be taken apart and leveled. The ends of thesubplate, which are parallel to the sides of the machine, are angularand fit in the dovetail ribs in the master die holder, which means thatthe subplate can be ground to the desired height and without any otherfitting, will slide right into the die holder. Another advantage is thesmaller amount of space such dies would take up in a shoe factory. Also,the lighter amount of weight for an operator on these machines to handlein placing and replacing dies in her machine makes this larrangementadvantageous. Great saving of material would also be effected as well asa much lighter die to ship.

All the stripping features in the regular die of this type are used tothe fullest in this die.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine showing the parts in idleposition.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the master -die holder.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Figure 2, showing the base platestructure.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one form of die plate and attachments,same being taken with the plate inverted from the normal workingposition iny a machine of the type to which I have ap# plied myinvention for purposes of illustration thereof.

Figure 5 is a perspective view ofthe reverse of the device shown inFigure 4.

Referring rst to the carriage, it contains the y elements shown anddescribed in my Patent No.

2,183,038 .consisting of a die carriage l which slides in and out of themachine, a laterally projecting plate 2 which slides in the die carriageup and down, a seriesof supporting posts 3 with respect to which theplate 2 is also slidable, around which posts are heavy springs '4. Thesides of the work support are equipped with adjustable posts 5 which liein a pathwhich` willr result in their contact with the projectingsliding plate 2, so that as the die carriage `l and the work supportapproach each other, the rails will push upwardly, the plate 2compressing the springs li. The under side of the plate 2 is equippedwith posts 2l which pass through the under face of the 'die carriage i.There they contact the supports of the floating stripping pressure plateto be described below. This device,

` therefore, functions to cause the floating stripper pressure plate torise and descend with the plate 2, and hence, to apply :a springactuated downward pressure only when the work support starts movingdownwardly at the completion of a work ldecorating stroke.

The under side of the die carriage is equipped with a master die holdingplate or base plate 22, which is held to the base of the die carriage bysuitable means. The plate is one which will accommodate a wide varietyof die units proper, but the preferable practice is to provide severalof these master plates for the dies which will be very wide and thosewhich will be narrower. It may have a dovetail gib 24 rior guiding itinto position when initially mounting it, in the same manner as the dieunts are mounted on the carriage in my former patent above referred to,so that machines equipped as for use according to my former patent maybe provided with the master die holding plate or base plate withoutchange of the die carriage.

This base plate has lateral bars 3B on which the die unit is secured,said bars equipped with dovetail slides 32 for that purpose. At therear, these two lateral bars are connected and braced by a rear supportbar 3i. Also projecting downwardly fro-m the base plate is a series ofsupporting bars 26 .which extend in one direction, preferably parallelwith each other. As the description proceeds, it will be noted thatthese bars contact like bars on the die unit proper, which VeXtend in atransverse direction to the bars 26.

Also in connection with the master die holder base plate, there isprovided the floating stripping pressure plate 29, already referred toabove, which plate has slots therein to accommodate the supporting barsy2t.

The floating stripper is mounted on headed studs 33 around which may belight springs 34, which have no function but to keep the plate normallyadvanced and prevent it from becoming cocked. The plate is soproportioned that these studs 33 come, when the plate is in position, toa location below the posts 2T to the end that the posts will actuate theplate in accordance with the mode or operation in the said Patent No.2,183,038.

rlherequipment so far described is placed in the machine and remainsthere, ready for reception of the die units which are arranged to fitwithin the dovetail slides, and so as to come up against the stop bar 35located on the rear support bar 3l when in accurate home position. Otherlocating means may be provided for the die unit in the master baseplate, as will be understood without further illustration, which meanswill be Vknown by the manufacturer, and hence provided on each die unitas sold.

The work support, which is raised and lowered to operate on the work, isgenerally indicated at B and will be provided with means for mounting ofa gauge plate (not shown) which will be arranged to go with whatever dieis to be used, a gauge plate being provided normally with each die orset of dies for a given piece of work.

The die unit is supplied .with a die base plate ES, arranged formounting in the guides on the master base plate. The upper surface ofthe die base plate 58 is equipped with supporting ribs $3, which areextended transversely of the supporting ribs on the master base plateand generally conformed to the requirements of clearance of the stripperplate posts to be described below. Guards 54, 55 Imay be provided inconnection with the ribs, which guards are angle strips of metal slottedfor clearance of the master base plate supporting ribs 26.

This plate has clearance holes 59 for the chips removed by cuttingoperations, and holes for passage of the stripper plate posts. In theillustrated form, the plate is in two sections, which .will often bedesirable to permit provi-ding one standard decoration with gradedsubdecorations for different sizes or styles, based on the standarddecoration. In such a case, some suitable means of securing the twoplates rigidly together is provided, which is not an essential of mypresent invention.

The working face of the die unit consists of a cutter mounting plate ortube plate lil, which has the desired cutters or cutting tubes securedthereto, the same being indicated at ll. In the illustrated die unit,there is only one main cutter mounting plate, the added section of thedie consisting solely of stripper elements. The stripsper elements arein the form of plates l5, which have holes to accommodate the cuttertubes, and as shown may be provided with printing or marking ribs 16.These ribs are normally inked in the course of the carriage movement,and when the Work piece placed on the gauge plate is brought up againstthe stripper plates, the rst action thereof will be to imprint or markon the work the design established by the ribs 76.

The stripper plates, whatever their number, are mounted by means ofposts 50, which are surrounded by light springs E2 which bear betweenthe stripper plates and the surface of the base plate or cutter plate,as the case may be. Printing pressure of the stripper plates is thusprovided for, and as the cutters are forced through the stripper plateholes and the work, the stripper plates will slide up (in this case),the posts being the sliding elements that pass through' the die plate.

The posts have collars 5I on their portions lying on the oppositeside-from the springs now noted, so that the advanced position of thestripper plates with reference to the cutter is maintained by thesprings 12, since said collars engage the back of the die plate proper.

The posts are substantially the dimension to bring their free ends to alevel so that they contact the floating plate 29 of the main strippermechanism in the master structure. When the supporting ribs on the dieand on the master plate are in contact, and the work support and diehave been brought together, and the plate 2 elevated, as it; will beincident to operation of the work support and the upper header ends oithe studs on the plate 2S are free to rise, the posts on the stripperswill rise with but little opposition, and no substantial increase ofpressure on the stripper. But as the work support moves down, and theplate 2 is strongly pushed down by its spring 3, then the posts 21, incontact with the studs on the floating plate will push it downpositively. This will push down on the posts of the strippers andpositively strip the work away from the cutter without compressing thework.

I1; will now be notedl that the advantages set forth in the introductorystatement are accomplished by the structure illustrated. As compared tomy previous patent above referred to', the problem of supplying adequatestripping pressure is taken care of by means which do not have to besupplied with each die sold, but which are set up in the machine as amaster structure.

I have not described portions of my apparatus where not necessary to anunderstanding of the invention sought to be illustrated, aand specicallydo not wish to be limited in the scope of the inventive concept inherentin the disclosure because of the selection of a certain type of machineto which' my invention is applied. Thus, the working parts could beinverted, operation could be caused by movement of the die rather thanthe work support, a different type gauge could be used, and the mainstripping pressure need not be in a carriage which moves in and out, ofthe machine. Also, it is not necessary to my invention in its broadestsense to employ the stripper plates as printing elements.

Thus, one modification of the structure shown, which would accomplish'some of the advantages thereof, would be to eliminate the demountablenature of the master plate, thus making it a xed part of the carriage.If this is done, then the supporting posts in the form of headed studson which the oating plates are suspended could be threaded directly intothe posts depending from the sliding plate 2 in th'e carriage. Thisstructure does not require separate illustration.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character described wherein work holding meansand die supporting means are brought together to decorate a piece ofwork, and in which an actuated element to provide stripping pressure isincorporated with the die supporting means and is moved away fromstripping position during work decorating movement, a master die holdercomprising a member mountable on the die supporting means, means thereonto demountably arrange a die, and a plate supported movably on themaster die holder and having means contacting with the actuated element,the said die mounting means arranged to mount the die in advance of theplate.

2. In a machine of the character described wherein work holding meansand die supporting means are brought together to'decorate a piece ofwork, and in which' an actuated element to provide stripping pressure isincorporated with the die supporting means and is moved away fromstripping position during work decorating movement, a master die holdercomprising a member mountable on the die supporting means, means thereonto demountably arrange a die, a plate supported movably on the masterdie holder and having means contacting with the actuated element, thesaid die mounting means arranged to mount the die in advance of theplate, and a die arranged to be demountably secured to the master dieholder and having work stripping means thereon, the said last namedmeans having members to Contact with the movably supported plate.

3,'The combination of claim 2 in which the members on the work strippingmeans consist of posts resiliently urged to work stripping position withrelatively light spring pressure.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the stripping means is providedwith print-marking ridges to print mark the work as a part of thesame'operation with cutting it with the die,

n a machine of the character described wherein work holding means anddie supporting means are brought together to decorate a piece of work,and in which an actuated element to provide stripping pressure isincorporated with the die supporting means and is moved away fromstripping position during work decorating movement. a master die holdercomprising a member mountable on the die supporting means, means thereonto demountably arrange a die, a plate supported movably on the masterdie holder and having means contacting with the actuated element, thesaid die mounting means arranged to mount the die in advance of theplate, die contacting ribs on said master die holder, said movablysupported plate being arranged with clearance therefor.

6. In a machine of the character described wherein work holding meansand die supporting means are brought together to decorate a piece ofwork, and in which an actuated element to provide stripping pressure isincorporated with the die supporting means and is moved away fromstripping position during work decorating movement, a master die holdercomprising a member mountable on the die supporting means, means thereonto demountably arrange a die, a plate supported movably on the masterdie holder and having means contacting with Ythe actuated element, thesaid die mounting means arranged to mount the die in advance of theplate, die contacting ribs on said master die holder, said movablysupported plate being arranged with clearance therefor, and a diearranged to be demountably secured to the master die holder, and havingwork stripping means thereon, the said last named means having membersto contact with the movably supported plate, said die having stiffeningribs thereon extending in a direction transverse to the ribs on themaster die holder, and located so as to contact the latter ribs.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which the members on the work strippingmeans comprise posts resiliently urged to work stripping position withrelatively light spring pressure, whereby the contacting ribs willcooperate without presenting undue problems in arrangement of thelocation for the said posts.

8. The combination in a press for decorating material with holes andprint marks, a carriage, a work support, the carriage movable toand fromoperative position, and the work support movable to cause an operationupon the work, a masterY die supporting plate on the carriage havingmeans thereon for supporting demountably a work cutting and markinginstrumentality, said marking portion of said instrumentality comprisinga plate with marking projections thereon resiliently held on mountingmembers in advance of the cutting elements of the said instrumentalityand a stripping pressure plate mounted on the master die supportingplate and located between it and the die, means whereby said strippingpressure plate moves in a direction to and from the work support as thework support moves to and from kthe carriage, the members on the markinginstrumentality arranged to engage the said stripping plate, whereby themarking instrumentality performs as a stripper for the work on the workVholder with no more than its own resilient mounting members except asthe carriage and the work support separate from each other after a workdecorating operation.

.9. `The combination in a press for decorating material with holes andprint marks, a' carriage,

a work support, `the carriage movable to and from operative position,and the work support movable to cause an operationv upon the Work, amaster die supporting plate on the carriage having means thereon forsupporting demountably a work cutting and marking instrumentality, saidmarking portion of said instrumentality comprising a plate with markingprojections thereon resiliently held on mounting members in advance ofthe cutting elements of the said instrumentality and a strippingpressure plate mounted on the master die supporting plate and locatedbetween it and the die, means whereby said stripping pressure platemoves in a direction to and from the work support as the work supportmoves to and from the carriage, the members on the markinginstrumentality arranged to engage the said stripping plate, whereby themarking instrumentality performs as a stripper for the work on the workholder with no more than its own resilient mounting members except asthe carriage and the work support separate from each other after a workdecorating operation, said master plate having ribs thereon extending inone direction which have clearance relative to the stripping plate, andthe cutting and marking instrumentality having a mounting plate thereforwhich has ribs thereon arranged to contact the ribs rst mentioned butextending Vtransversely thereof.

10.' In a cutting and marking machine, the combination of a die supportand a, work support, a plate located on the die support, means wherebysaid plate moves in a direction away from the work sup-port as the worksupport and die support are brought together, and moves in a directiontoward the work support when the two are separated, means on the diesupport for mounting a die thereon in advance of the said plate, a dieand a stripper on said die having spring urged supporting posts whichengage the said plate, said stripper having marking projections thereon.

V ll. InV a cutting and marking machiney the combination'of a diesupport and a work support, a plate located on the die support, meanswhereby said plate moves in a direction away from the work support asthe-work support and die support are brought together, and moves in adirectio-n toward the work support when the two are separated, means onthe die support for mounting a die thereon in advance of the said plate,a die and a stripper on said die having spring urged supporting postswhich engage the said plate, said stripper having marking projectionsthereon, ribs extending in one direction on the die support, said ribspassing through the plate, and ribs on the die mounting extendingtransversely of the ribs on the die support.

12. A die for use with a master die holder having rigid projectionsthereon in a pre-arranged pattern, said die having a plate portion formounting on the die holder, said plate portion having rigid projectionsthereon arranged to contact the projections on the die holder when theplate is in position thereon.

13. The combination of claim l2, in which mounted onsaid plate isV amarking stripper, re-

siliently held lposts for said stripper passing through the plate, saidposts arranged to project into a position which does not Contact anyprojection of the die holder when said plate is in position thereon.

14. A die for use with a master die holder having interspaced ribsthereon extending in gener- Y ally parallel relationl said die having aplateV REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the leof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,164,452 Freeman July 4, 19392,183,038 Freeman Dec. 12, 1939 10 2,244,613 Freeman June 3, 19412,278,542 Freeman Apr. 7, 1942

